A Long Day on I40

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Lake Thunderbird State Park, Oklahoma

There are four kinds of driving when on a road trip and they span the spectrum from 'a lot of fun' to 'when will we just get there'. Yesterday was one of those latter kinds.

In the first place it was a very long day. Since we got a late start leaving home, we didn't make it to Amarillo on our first day and ended up staying in Tucumcari, leaving us 100 miles short of our first day goal. So we decided to make up the difference on yesterday's trip. That made the drive 400 miles long, which is about 50 miles longer than we consider our maximum. (After all, we are old people...)

It both helps and hurts that it was all Interstate 40. Helps because it is a four lane, divided, high speed highway designed to get you where you want to go as fast and safe as possible. Hurts because, towing a trailer, I really shouldn't drive faster than 65 and that means that what seemed like hundreds of big semi-trucks hauling just about every conceivable kind of item from one side of the country to the other were passing us, each time trying to suck my small and somewhat fragile rig, into their multiple wheels and cavernous underbellies. It is serious driving and requires staying alert and defensive. And, again, we are old people...

So yesterday was all about the driving we do just to get from Point A to Point B. These are not touring days - we have a trip on the drawing boards to include this part of the country another year. But for now, the objective is just to get through it and on to where we really want to spend some time.

That doesn't mean you ignore the countryside - sometimes it isn't even possible. Things just sort of stick up and shout for your attention as you fly by. Here is a list of my thoughts during the day:

God Damn, it is flat. Seems there is a reason why the New Mexico/Texas state line is where it is - the topography changes. In New Mexico, we saw red bluffs near Santa Rosa, and even around Tucumcari there were scattered buttes in the surrounding countryside. Cross into the Texas panhandle, though and there is nothing to punctuate the horizon - you can see forever in these parts, but there isn't really much to see. Hills start to roll a bit in Oklahoma (more like Kansas I think), but even here the city skyscrapers are bigger than any natural feature.

Millions of Steaks - Outside of Amarillo we passed the largest cattle feed lot I have ever seen. I'm really not very good at estimating numbers of things, but there had to be several thousand of these animals, all packed into acres of fenced land. Had the windows up, so we didn't get a full sensory experience.

Dry and Brown - New York Times reported that Spring has arrived in much of the country three weeks early, but there is little green in these parts. It was dusty, there was a wildfire in the distance, and, at lunch, we learned that in the small town of Shamrock, Texas, four people were recently killed in a prairie wildfire. It's March folks - and the wildfires have started.

Friendly People - We ate Lunch at The Roost in Shamrock, Texas. Waitress was a hoot, friendly as all get out and more than eager to help with the dogs. Food was entirely fresh and organic. I had a 'Texas Burger' and Joan had fish tacos. Really enjoyed their homemade potato chips.

Vertical Cars - Texans don't seem to dispose of their cars like most of us do. Instead they dig holes in the ground and then position the metal carcasses vertically. I knew there was a famous example of that art near Marfa, but we saw three more instances of it from the highway. Copycats?

Oil Owns Oklahoma - As we drove on to Oklahoma City, we passed massive warehouses and office buildings with labels like Schlumberger, Halliburton and Bechtel. Oklahoma is oil country. So next time you try to understand why Oklahoma produces so many anti-climate change politicians, just remember that they are all owned by big oil. (See 'Dry and Brown' above!)

Oklahoma City Rush Hour Traffic is Awful - avoid it if you can. Novices trying to navigate the maze of freeway interchanges will find it to be a miserable experience. Try changing lanes with a trailer when you want to stay on a specific highway.

Having said all that about the day, we arrived at our destination around dusk. We find that the best places to camp are State Parks. They usually have full hookups, are located in beautiful surroundings, and aren't very pricy. We are here sitting on a spot high above the lake with gorgeous views of the sunrise. Made yesterday all worthwhile. (17.1.2)

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Comments

[Mickey]

Flat and Not Too Awesome
This is a handy dandy blog, Michael! We towed a trailer with an alpaca to be delivered just outside Okla City at night in the rain. You reminded me of the hellish time we had. We arrived. Alpaca was put in the paddock. The next morning I saw the trailer tire shredded! We were indeed lucky. Last night we saw "Come Hell or High Water". This is a must-see for you. The location: West Texas. Happy trails.